"Regardless of spiritual pressure or chakra, they are merely products of two different worlds. If these two distinct energies merge, perhaps I can break open the gate to other worlds."
Naruto silently observed Hinata and Kaguya, who were struggling against his assault.
During this, Hanabi also attempted to join in, but having just awakened the reincarnation eye, her abilities were far inferior to those of Kaguya and Hinata. She couldn't be of much help at all.
Under Naruto's pressure, the cooperation between Hinata and Kaguya became more and more coordinated.
"I'm getting a bit tired of this." Watching the two of them struggle, Naruto suddenly felt a sense of weariness.
"The upper limit of chakra is ultimately limited."
"No, to be precise, the upper limit of spiritual pressure is also limited."
"In the past, I was troubled by the fusion of chakra and spiritual pressure. The overpowering spiritual pressure tends to assimilate chakra to some extent, which is not what I desire."
"I need powerful chakra that can stand on equal ground with spiritual pressure. When the two merge completely, perhaps it will become a new energy system."
In the process of continuous growth, Naruto finally understood his own limitations.
Although he possessed a powerful Zanpakuto, he realized that it wasn't enough in front of true strong individuals. Just like Captain Yamamoto from the Soul Society—his Shikai alone could dissolve the entire world. Even with all his strength, Naruto might not be a match for Yamamoto.
Looking at Hinata and Kaguya struggling, Naruto felt a mixture of emotions.
In his eyes, they were weak. But in the eyes of stronger individuals, what difference was there between him and Hinata or Kaguya?
Strength knows no bounds; when you reach one height, you will always see higher levels.
Naruto began to understand this. He also realized that he didn't belong to this world.
"Let's end this. It's time to put an end to the Shinobi world," he murmured softly. In the next moment, immense spiritual pressure gathered on his Zanpakuto.
"Bankai: Dai Guren Hyōrinmaru."
As he softly chanted, countless chains made of ice and snow appeared in the sky and earth.
This was Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto, also known as the most powerful ice and snow-type Zanpakuto. It was on par with Hyorinmaru, but its abilities were far inferior.
After replicating the Hyorinmaru, Naruto developed even greater power, elevating the intensity of the Bankai several notches higher.
Now, the entire space was frozen. Countless chains emerged from the ground, and several huge ice dragons condensed in front of Naruto.
Everyone's senses dropped drastically; Sasuke's body erupted with a dazzling lightning, using the heat generated by the lightning to warm himself. But what shocked him was that even his own lightning seemed to have a tendency to freeze.
"No matter what ability is replicated, it's ultimately not my own. Even if I comprehend more, I can't break through," Naruto sighed as he looked at the magnificent ice and snow space.
He had indeed made a qualitative leap with the Hyorinmaru, but if he relied on this ability, Naruto knew he wouldn't progress further.
Sensing the lethal danger of Naruto's Zanpakuto, the cold even causing the possibility of freezing Kaguya's body, she quickly mobilized all her chakra and used her ultimate move.
"Gū." The Divine Tree absorbed all the ninjas' chakra, and a boundless amount of chakra surged toward Kaguya.
Soon, the amount of chakra surpassed everything they had felt before. Even Hinata's chakra appeared like that of an infant compared to Kaguya's.
"Is this a desperate struggle?" Naruto swung his Zanpakuto, and towering ice pillars erupted from the ground.
Hanabi's eyes flickered, instantly manipulating several ice pillars to protect Kaguya.
With her combat experience, Hinata could naturally see that Kaguya was brewing an extremely powerful ninjutsu. That would be their key to victory.
"Expansion Seeking Orb."
As Kaguya's words fell, a jet-black orb, large enough to obscure the sky, appeared behind her.
The entire world fell into darkness, except for the light emitted by Naruto and Sasuke's overflowing spiritual pressure.
"Such a Seeking Orb could completely swallow heaven and earth." Sasuke was shocked, struggling to swallow his saliva.
After the Expansion Seeking Orb appeared, the oppressive feeling was incredible. The entire world was completely covered, and they felt like ants about to be crushed by a meteor—a feeling of vastness, like staring at the night sky from the Earth.
"This is the Blood Mist Network fused with seven chakra attributes. In a sense, this is the pinnacle that ninjas can achieve." Even Naruto's eyes showed surprise.
After all, merging two chakra attributes alone could create a Kekkei Genkai. Even the special Dust Release from Ōnoki, surpassing Kekkei Genkai, only merged three chakra attributes.
"The ability is impressive. It makes me feel pressure." This was the first time Naruto felt fear since his battle with Kaguya in the other world.
But at the same time, it excited him.
"Bankai!" The Bankai of the Mirror Flower, Water Moon, erupted, altering the entire world.
Even the horrifying Expansion Seeking Orb was not exempt.
As the world twisted and the Seeking Orb disintegrated, Naruto, in an instant, closed the distance between himself and Kaguya, thrusting his hand into her chest.
"The Shinobi era is over, Chakra Originator."
As Kaguya's eyes dimmed, everything came to an end.
The space began to collapse. Naruto felt Kaguya's chakra and looked pensive.
Kaguya's chakra was undoubtedly the most powerful and purest he had ever sensed.
However, for some reason, he had a feeling.
This kind of chakra didn't suit a fusion with his spiritual pressure.
After Kaguya's piercing cry gradually ended, her form slowly disintegrated, and the chakra from her body condensed into a glowing sphere, spinning gently in Naruto's hand.
After Kaguya's complete death, the Infinite Tsukuyomi was lifted, and all the ninjas woke up.
"They looked around but found everyone wearing a puzzled expression.
What they saw as the hope, the Chakra progenitor - Kaguya Otsutsuki - was nowhere to be seen. There were only exhausted Hinata and Hanabi.
Naruto floated in the air, holding a powerful Chakra sphere in his hand.
Looking at Sasuke, he stood coldly aside, deep in thought as if contemplating something.
"What's going on? Is the battle over?" Questions arose among the crowd.
"Did we win?"
Someone asked, but it was followed by an endless silence.
Win? Does the current situation resemble a victory?
Kaguya was gone, the final strongholds of the Hokage were rendered powerless, and on the side of Joryoku Tera, Naruto and the others remained composed.
The outcome was evident.
The ninjas, led by Tsunade, fell into despair.
"Even if we gather all the forces of the ninja world, are we still unable to make a dent?" Daimyo Oonoki lamented.
As the Tsuchikage, he had devoted his life diligently to the village. His style of governance was rather aggressive, always trying to exploit friction between villages.
He never imagined he would one day unite with other villages.
During this alliance, he, like others, experienced fighting back to back and longed for the hope of peace.
But hope lasted too briefly.
"We've only just tasted the value of peace." Oonoki couldn't help but lament. The world's most painful thing was this: after the rapprochement between the villages, it was facing collapse and dissolution.
"Peace? No, once Joryoku Tera disappears, the struggles within the ninja villages will continue." Naruto sneered at the saddened shadows.
Greed is the flaw of humans, Naruto firmly believed. Without the rule of Joryoku Tera, the ninja world would undoubtedly descend into darkness.
"The era of Joryoku Tera has arrived. Now, I'm giving all of you villages a chance," Naruto's gaze swept over all the Kage.
"Join Joryoku Tera, erase the name of the ninja villages, replace all the top leaders, everything else remains the same, the villages will continue their basic operations, and all ninjas will have the opportunity to become Shinigami. Your normal lives won't change much."
As he spoke, the previously despairing Ninja Alliance began to show signs of resurgence.
From what Naruto said, things didn't seem that bad.
At least everyone could survive.
In this light, Naruto's purpose didn't seem to be the destruction of the ninja world.
For the ninjas, nothing was more important than their families. One of the reasons some ninjas joined the war was to protect their families.
If the surrender didn't affect the residents within the villages, then what was the point of this war?
For the lower-level ninjas, the so-called top figures of the ninja villages weren't that crucial.
They weren't the kind of ninjas brainwashed to be blindly loyal to the higher-ups.
Especially after experiencing so much, they had become aware of the darkness within the major ninja villages.
Being in the dark naturally made them yearn for the light.
"Don't listen to him, it's all a scheme!" An enraged Tsunade shouted.
To be honest, deep down, she still believed Naruto's words.
But after experiencing her brother's betrayal and the slaughter of her ancestors, her heart was filled with the flames of revenge.
She hated Joryoku Tera more than anyone else and wished to destroy it.
As a Kage, her words and actions at this moment were naturally somewhat impulsive.
But for the ninjas of Konoha, the one speaking was the most respected Kage, the spiritual pillar of the village. They had no choice but to believe her.
The cohesion of Konoha's ninjas was astounding, but at the same time, they were naive.
"We believe in the Hokage!" a Leaf ninja said.
But in contrast, the faces of the leaders of the other villages showed signs of contemplation.
From the current situation, if Naruto wanted to destroy the ninja world, it would be effortless.
The influence of Joryoku Tera was too powerful. Compared to it, the ninja world was insignificant.
Moreover, from Naruto's promise, joining Joryoku Tera didn't seem all that bad.
They would only lose their authority.
If one truly loved the ninja villages, they shouldn't have any attachment to authority.
Doubt began to creep into the minds of the ninja alliance.
"If what he says is true, then this war is utterly meaningless."
The ninja from Konoha could only watch the situation with frustration.
At this moment, Sasuke stepped forward, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
"Join Joryoku Tera, obey the rules, and you will attain the peace you desire."
A terrifying aura emanated from Sasuke's body, coupled with his expressionless face, sending chills down everyone's spine.
"How is this possible? Impossible! How could Sasuke join Joryoku Tera?" Within the Ninja Alliance, Itachi was incredulous. He covered his face in agony, his shoulders trembling.
"Sasuke, have you also fallen?" He lamented to himself, recalling the Sasuke who had pledged his oath after having his eyes gouged out, feeling even sadder.
"You once said you wanted to seek your own justice. Why have you betrayed it now?" Itachi was puzzled by Sasuke's drastic change.
He couldn't fathom the scope of Joryoku Tera and Sasuke's vision.
"The ninja world has been in turmoil for too long. Now, I will rewrite all the rules." Naruto extended his right hand, and boiling spiritual pressure transformed into infinite threads falling from the sky, entering everyone's minds.
Suddenly, these ninjas' minds gained memories that didn't belong to them.
In the dusty wind, Joryoku Tera stood silently.
In the Land of Ghosts before Joryoku Tera, the residents maintained their trading and interaction with the outside world.
As a small country, their power and economy weren't mighty. Although the residents' lives weren't as prosperous as those in the ninja villages, they still enjoyed relative peace.
People lived contentedly, and though there might be occasional sorrow due to the loss of loved ones, the overall atmosphere was calm.
When the Shinigami appeared, the Land of Ghosts accepted the changes obediently, showcasing an indescribable adaptability.
In just a month or two, they completely embraced and accepted Joryoku Tera.
Part of this acceptance stemmed from the residents' belief in the shrine maiden.
The memories continued to unfold.
As Joryoku Tera was established, towering buildings completed construction, and under the admiring gazes of the people, Murasakiyo began the speech.
The gist of it was announcing the establishment of Joryoku Tera, a series of rules, and mentioning the mastermind behind Joryoku Tera, Naruto Uzumaki.
At this point, all the ninjas understood the process of Joryoku Tera's establishment and surprisingly felt a curiosity about it.
How would a nascent organization transform the Land of Ghosts into a peaceful paradise? This required not only a charismatic and decisive leader but also various well-developed regulations.
This was precisely the most challenging aspect.
The top figures from each ninja village deeply understood the difficulties.
Before taking power, they all had grand ambitions.
But upon taking power, they found the relationships to be too complex. One decision could face opposition from countless clans, making policy implementation extremely challenging.
In their memories, they saw Joryoku Tera's first act was to abolish all clans.
Their methods were swift and bloody.
This scene made the expressions of all the high-ranking officials somewhat ugly.
One could imagine that if their ninja villages joined Joryoku Tera, the high-ranking figures and prestigious families who were unwilling to relinquish power might face similar fates.